Does gender matter in the virtual world? Examining the effect of gender on the link between online social network activity, security and interpersonal victimization

Abstract

The growth in the number and scope of private information breaches of social networking (SN) websites subscribers’ has prompted researchers to focus on the utilization of privacy and security measures among SN users. Previous research suggests that users who engaged in risky online behaviors, such as adding strangers as friends, were more likely to be victimized online. The current study examines the role gender plays in the relationship between SN security and online interpersonal victimization (OIPV). Utilizing a probability sample of college students from a large Midwestern university, gender differences in online SN activity and security were found. Some factors (number of SN updates and adding strangers as friends) had a significantly different impact on OIPV among males and females.